MyCiTi service remains suspended as national strike action continues

Thu, 2017-04-13 06:50

Author: Philip

Commuters with a Monthly Pass should please note that MyCiTi will extend the monthly packages for the time equal to the duration of the national bus drivers’ strike.

The City will extend the monthly packages for the time equal to the duration of the national strike action in an effort to accommodate those MyCiTi commuters who have Monthly Passes on their myconnect cards.

‘The detail and procedures of how we intend to extend the packages will be communicated to commuters in due course. Save to say that we will do everything possible to reduce losses as a result of the MyCiTi service not operating during the strike,’ said the City’s Mayoral Committee Member for Transport and Urban Development, Councillor Brett Herron.

In the meantime, commuters are requested to please continue making alternative travel arrangements as it is not clear when the nationwide strike affecting the entire South African bus industry will come to an end.

The strike action is as a result of deadlocked wage negotiations by unions who are party to the South African Road Passenger Bargaining Council.

Subsequently, no MyCiTi trunk or feeder services have been operating as from Wednesday morning, 11 April 2017.

‘We have approached Metrorail to assist commuters during this time and I want to thank their management for adjusting Metrorail’s services to absorb the additional passenger volumes. Metrorail has extended their operating hours and some trains are terminating sooner at key stations to accommodate more passengers.

‘We regret the inconvenience caused to all of those who rely on buses to get to their destinations. I want to call on the parties to return to the bargaining table so that an agreement can be reached sooner rather than later,’ said Councillor Herron.

The strike has a serious knock-on effect on all public transport and road-based traffic, as nearly 71 000 commuters make use of the MyCiTi service on any given week day.

‘Given that these commuters will be displaced to other road-based transport such as minibus-taxis or private vehicles, I once again call on private businesses in Cape Town to consider implementing flexible working hours or remote working arrangements for employees where possible and practical. Residents are also requested to please explore alternatives such as car-pooling,’ said Councillor Herron.